Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg (2012)

Jake Bugg is not your ordinary nineteen year old musician. In a world where the likes of Justin Bieber and One Direction churn out predictably boring pop music, this guy comes on to the scene channelling Bob Dylan on his self-titled debut, and in the process goes straight to number one on the UK album chart. Influenced by the likes of Donovan and Don McLean, Jake Bugg grew up in Nottingham England on a rough council estate and took up music after hearing a Don McLean song “Vincet (Starry, Starry Night) on The Simpsons. Such influences become all too clear when the guitar chords come in on the opening track “Lightening Bolt” and you first hear his uniquely different voice. Immediately you think of that early Dylan twang, and then you remember he is only 18-19…WHAT? You say, someone of his age should not be singing in this style, right? But in reality this guy is a breath of fresh air. Even on the most pop sounding track on the record “Two Fingers” he draws on the past, you hear a skiffle beat reminiscent of early Beatles, and a melody during the chorus that could have been pulled straight off a La’s album. On the same song he sings of “skinning up a fat one, and hiding from the feds” obviously in relation to his childhood growing up on the streets of Nottingham, a theme he draws on throughout the album. The first half of the album is definitely stronger later in the album the songs tend to drift and become a bit too mellow in places, but all together this is a great first up effort from a real talent. I very much look forward to what he comes up with next.